Welcome to the Dance
by Vol lady
Summary: It's the end of Nick's and Heath's weddings, and all Victoria's children are married!


Welcome to the Dance

May 1881

Victoria reached for Jarrod's hand, and he took hers in his, squeezing tightly when he realized hers was trembling. He looked over at her and smiled, and then together they continued to listen to the priest. He smiled as well, reading the wedding ceremony to the two couples before him – and to Victoria and Jarrod. She was Matron of Honor to both couples, he was Best Man to both.

Lord, have mercy, this was so strange!

But the strangeness was making everyone smile. Nick and Nancy made their vows to each other, then Heath and Suzanne, and in the tiny congregation of family and closest friends, everyone smiled along with them. When the priest told them "you may now kiss the brides," there were a few chuckles in the room at the use of the plural, but then the kisses came about, and then Victoria gave a deeply heartfelt "Oh – "

As her sons and their brides went down the aisle, she clung to Jarrod's hand until it was their turn to follow. When they did begin to walk back down the aisle themselves, Jarrod noticed Victoria was full of tears. "Happy tears?" he asked.

"All my children are married!" Victoria said.

Jarrod laughed. "Finally, huh?"

"Finally," Victoria said with a genuine sigh.

The couples left in separate surreys, Barkley ranch hands providing the drivers. Jarrod drove the buggy that held him, his wife and his mother, and they followed along to the ranch. Behind him came Audra and Carl and the Pearsons – including Suzanne's father who had given the bride away – and the close friends like Sheriff Madden who had been invited to the service.

At the ranch, the garden was all decked out with tables and food and a mariachi band was already playing. Other friends and all of the Barkley hands who were not needed to tend herd were already present. Nick helped Nancy down out of their surrey, and Heath helped Suzanne down, and in moments the Barkley grooms were dancing with their brides to a Mexican waltz.

The others who had gone to the service climbed down and allowed the hands to take their rigs to the stable area. Everyone watched Nick and Heath dance with their brides, and then the second waltz found Nick and Heath awkwardly deciding who would dance first with their mother. Victoria laughed as Nick tossed a coin. Heath won.

Victoria danced with Heath, while Suzanne danced with her father. Then Nick danced with his mother while Nancy danced with Steve Pearson, who had given her away. And then everyone was dancing.

Jarrod danced first with his wife, who whispered in his ear, "How is the best man holding up under all this?"

"Well, I have to admit, I never realized that being the Best Man for two grooms at the same time would as confusing as it turned out to be," Jarrod laughed.

"All you really had to do was remember which ring went to which groom."

"You think that was easy? They looked alike, and Suzanne's was only a tiny bit larger than Nancy's."

"I'm sure your lawyer orderliness worked the whole thing out."

"Well, let's hope so," Jarrod said. "I suppose we ought to go in before long and check on J.J."

"Oh, I'm sure Mrs. Ailey is doing fine with him and Victoria Marie, but we'll check on them if you like in a bit."

"Do you realize how happy Mother is that we're all married now? She thought it was never going to happen."

Maggie looked over to where Victoria was now dancing with Sheriff Madden. "I'm not sure she can believe it yet. I'm not sure I believe it yet. I'm so happy they moved the date up and got married together."

Jarrod leaned in close. "So am I. Makes for a terrific memory, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does. Come, my darling, let's go check on the children before we're too tired to walk into the house."

Jarrod and Maggie slipped away unnoticed.

XXXXX

Nick and Nancy slipped away to the edge of the festivities and spent time in each other's arms. "You know something?" Nick whispered into his wife's ear. "Right now, I feel like we're the only two people for miles around."

"So do I," Nancy said. "I can't believe I am really Nancy Barkley now."

Nick kissed her. "I'm not sure you were ever really anyone else. You seem so right, right where you are."

They kissed again.

Concluding a dance, Heath and Suzanne found each other and, at the same time, spotted Nick and Nancy. "And to think, not so long ago we were worried about the two of them," Suzanne said.

"I don't think we need to worry anymore," Heath said. "How are you feeling, Mrs. Barkley?"

Suzanne smiled. "When can we get to the honeymoon?"

Heath laughed and kissed her. "It's gonna be interesting, two honeymoons going on in one house tonight."

Suzanne laughed, too. "I wonder if your mother will get any sleep at all."

They looked over at where Victoria was finally sitting down, Sheriff Madden sitting beside her. "Maybe if we wear her out enough," Heath said.

As he was saying it, Victoria was being invited to dance by their foreman, McCall, and she was up again. Heath and Suzanne laughed again.

Nick and Nancy wandered over to join them. "What do you think, Little Brother?" Nick asked. "Double wedding in May a good idea or what?"

Heath nodded. "And it was all yours, Nick. Best idea you ever had."

Nick looked around. "Where did Jarrod and Maggie go?"

"I saw them slip away and go inside," Nancy said. "They might be checking on the children."

"Or checking on each other," Nick grinned.

"Behave!" Nancy chastised him with a grin.

"I will if they will," Nick said.

Inside, Jarrod and Maggie had found Victoria Marie sleeping, but Mrs. Ailey struggling a little with J.J. It was probably all the sound coming from outside that was keeping him awake and cranky, despite the fact that Mrs. Ailey had the children upstairs and as far away from the festivities as possible. As soon as Jarrod and Maggie came in, J.J. twisted in Mrs. Ailey's arms and reached for them.

"All right, young man," Jarrod said as he took his son into his arms. "What's the problem? Are you mad because you weren't invited to the party?"

Since he held tightly to his father's shirt – and even undid Jarrod's formal neckwear – Maggie was fairly certain it was not hunger keeping J.J. unhappy. Victoria Marie was comfortably asleep in the cradle – the same cradle all Victoria's children and J.J. all used before her. Once Jarrod took J.J. off her hands, Mrs. Ailey sat down in the nearest chair.

"He's been pretty good up until ten minutes ago or so," Mrs. Ailey said. "Then he started hearing the music, and I think you're right. He feels left out of the party."

Jarrod took hold of J.J.'s right hand and began to dance around the room with him. "Well, then, maybe a little dance around the room will make him feel more included."

"I have an idea," Maggie said. "That swing on the back porch is probably unoccupied."

Jarrod smiled at his wife. Porch swings had always been so good to them. "Let's find out," he said, and carrying his son, he went downstairs with his wife.

They ran into Nick and Nancy coming up the stairs – and looking chagrinned because they were caught. But Jarrod and Maggie smiled, and Nick and Nancy followed.

"Honeymoon starting already?" Jarrod asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"Well – " Nick fumbled with words.

"It's been a long wait," Nancy said with complete frankness.

Jarrod and Maggie just laughed as Nick and Nancy went upstairs.

"Heath and Suzanne will probably do the same thing as soon as they realize Nick and Nancy are gone," Maggie said as she and Jarrod continued downstairs and toward the back of the house.

XXXXX

Outside, Heath had seen Nick and Nancy sneaking away and nudged Suzanne. "They beat us to it," Heath said.

Suzanne smiled. "We'll just sleep later in the morning."

Heath and Suzanne enjoyed more dancing with some of the guests, and Heath invited his mother for one more turn around the floor. "Nick and Nancy have already slipped away on us," Heath said to his mother.

Victoria smiled. "I noticed. Jarrod and Maggie left a while ago, too."

"They're probably checking on J.J."

"You know, I'm really very happy that you and Nick decided to move the wedding dates up, and to give me that double wedding."

"It was a pretty good idea, wasn't it?"

"Standing beside Jarrod at the altar, holding his hand – it was good to see him feeling so good. Just how drunk did the three of you get at your tete-a-tete last night?"

Heath felt caught. "Well, Nick and I may have tied it on a little heavy, but Jarrod didn't drink that much. I think he wanted to be sure he wasn't hung over today."

"And you and Nick?"

"Well, we didn't worry so much about it – but we didn't drink all that much either. Mostly we just talked, shared some good memories of our single days."

"I still can't believe you're all married now. I just can't believe it."

"Believe it. We've all found our way."

Heath gave his mother a kiss, and he caught a glance at Suzanne, dancing with her father again. Dan Pearson had been the soul of decorum, not drinking at all, and spending much of his stay in Stockton grinning from ear to ear. That may have been the best wedding present of all – Suzanne's father, coming back around out of his despair after his wife's death. He was returning to the man Suzanne remembered. Heath couldn't have been happier about it.

Heath felt a tap on his shoulder and looked around. Steve Pearson was cutting in. "May I?" he asked politely.

Heath backed away. "By all means."

Heath caught a glance at Suzanne again. She lifted her gaze up to the upstairs of the house and smiled. Heath got the message.

XXXXX

Jarrod and Maggie found the porch swing available. No one at all was back here, and the music coming from the reception was muted by the house. Jarrod held J.J. in his lap while they swung gently together. It didn't take long for J.J. to fall asleep.

"Are you going to fall asleep too?" Maggie asked.

"I may," Jarrod said. "It's been a whirlwind couple of days, and I'm not nearly as young as I used to be."

When he chuckled a little, Maggie heard the rumbling of his ragged breathing, but he gave a slight cough and it disappeared. Maggie rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, now, we can't all fall asleep," Jarrod said.

"Why not?" Maggie said. "I can't think of a better way to wind this wedding down."

Jarrod kissed his wife on the top of her head. "Do you know how very much I love you?"

"I do. Do you know how much I love you?"

"I do. Sounds like we just took our vows all over again, doesn't it?"

Maggie chuckled. "I'd be happy to do it."

XXXXX

Victoria finished a dance with one of the hands at the same time Audra did, and they both sat down, getting pretty tired from the dancing. Behind them, Carl asked if he could get them anything.

"I'd like a brandy," Victoria said, "and then you can carry me up to my room."

Audra laughed. "I'd just like a sherry, Carl."

Carl went off to get them their drinks.

Victoria and Audra looked out at all the people still dancing. "How long have we been at this?" Victoria asked.

"I don't know," Audra said. "Long enough for both the newlywed couples to sneak away."

"Oh, that happened pretty fast, at least with Nick and Nancy. But I don't plan to call a halt to things unless some drunken fight breaks out. It's good to see our friends and our workers having a good time."

"But now you've run out of children to marry off."

"Yes," Victoria said happily. "Oh, Audra, I wish you knew how happy I am today."

"I'm so glad they moved the dates up."

"So am I," Victoria said. "I know they did it to be sure Jarrod could be here, but frankly, I suspect they just couldn't wait until autumn."

Audra laughed. "I was thinking the same thing. Do you know where Jarrod and Maggie went?"

"Inside, some time ago. Probably checking on J.J."

"I think I'll go check on Victoria Marie. Will you ask Carl to just hold onto my sherry until I get back?"

"Of course."

Audra got up and went into the house, upstairs to the room at the back where Mrs. Ailey was watching the children. Audra tried not to eavesdrop at Nick's and Heath's doors, and was actually happy she didn't hear what might have been going on inside. She hurried to find Mrs. Ailey.

Mrs. Ailey was alone, rocking Victoria Marie in her arms. She looked up when Audra came in and smiled.

"She's asleep?" Audra asked.

Mrs. Ailey lifted the baby up to her mother, and Audra took her. "She woke up a bit ago, but went right back again," Mrs. Ailey said. "She's such an easy child, hardly cranky at all."

Audra smiled at her sleeping daughter. "Yes, she is. Where is J.J.?"

"Oh, his parents took him some time ago. I think they're out on the porch swing in the back."

Audra put her daughter back into Mrs. Ailey's arms. "The party should be winding down before too long. Can I bring you anything?"

"Perhaps a piece of cake?"

"The newlyweds all got away before they even cut it. I think we may have to organize a shivaree to get them back outside."

Mrs. Ailey laughed. "Oh, I would love to hear that."

Audra got a twinkle in her eye, thinking about all the pots and pans they could gather from the kitchen. She remembered the shivaree that broke out after her own wedding, and oddly enough, she remembered enjoying it. "Then, get ready, because you will hear it," Audra said and hurried out of the room.

Audra hurried downstairs and found Silas in the kitchen. She asked him to gather all the pots and pans he could, leave four or five in the kitchen, and take the rest out to the garden party. Having lived in the South, Silas understood right away what Audra was up to, and he grinned from ear to ear as he set about his task.

Audra hurried out to the back porch and found Jarrod and Maggie rocking J.J. to sleep there. "Quick!" she cried softly.

"What?" Jarrod asked, startled.

"Both couples have hidden in their rooms. We're going to do a shivaree."

Jarrod knew the term, too, and smiled. Audra took off back into the house as he and Maggie got up and did the same. Jarrod gave J.J. to Maggie once they reached the kitchen, telling her to take J.J. back to Mrs. Ailey and warn her there would be some noise. Then Jarrod asked Maggie to meet him outside the door to Nick's room.

Audra ran back out to the party, where Silas had already begun handing out pots and pans. Audra gave quick instructions to her husband, who passed them around. Then she, Carl and Victoria followed Silas back into the house.

Silas made sure those who were in the house each had a pot and a piece of silverware. Jarrod met Maggie outside Nick's room, as planned, and gave her a pot and a heavy spoon. Audra and Carl stood outside Heath's room, and Victoria placed herself between Heath's and Nick's. Then the ruckus started outside.

As soon as it did, everyone in the upstairs hall began banging and yelling and laughing.

Nick pulled open his door a few inches, red-faced, glaring at his older brother. "You are gonna rue this day, Counselor."

Jarrod burst into louder laughter until he was coughing and laughing at the same time. He waved his wife's concern away and managed to get out, "Time to come back outside, Brother Nick!" And he kept banging away at his pot.

Heath opened his door a bit more slowly, letting his gaze fall and his grin widen when he saw Audra and Carl. Heath knew exactly what a shivaree was, so he just said, "We'll be down in a few minutes," and closed the door.

Victoria laughed and laughed at everyone else.

It was only ten minutes later that the newlyweds returned to the party and the pots and pans were laid aside. The music picked up again, and the couples began to dance again.

Victoria sat down as Jarrod and Maggie, and then Audra and Carl, also began to dance. She watched, seeing something she was so afraid once that she would never see, but now, here it was. All of her children, dancing with their spouses, smiling, happy, in love.

Sheriff Madden sat beside her again. "It's a really nice sight, isn't it?" he asked.

"Indeed, it is," Victoria said.

Sheriff Madden stood up again and reached for her hand. "One more with me?"

Victoria smiled even more, and in a moment, she was dancing with the sheriff beside her children on the dance floor.

All her married children.

The End


End file.
